Republic of Baja California

The Republic of Baja California was a proposed state in Mexico which existed from 3 November 1853 to 21 January 1854, with La Paz serving as its capital. In November 1853, the American filibuster William Walker and 200 men headed to La Paz, captured the political head, and created the Republic of Baja California, an extension of the Republic of Sonora. However, Walker's filibusters never fully controlled the region, nor did they enjoy local support, and Walker's poorly-supplied and mutinous men were unable to maintain the country's independence. The US Navy pressured Walker to flee to Ensenada, and Walker and the remnants of his army surrendered to the US Army in San Diego, California rather than be destroyed.